SPIROCU.KTOSIS OF SUDANESK P’OWIjS 
41 
possessing from six to ten spiral turns. Long or combined forms, 30 in length, and 
containing fewer spirals as compared with their size, were also noted. The extremities taper 
and stain faintly. Breaks occur in the stained parasite. They are irregular in situation. As 
many as twelve were seen in one of the combined organisms situated at distances varying 
from 0-2 f( to ISfj. In a single organism they were found at al)out 1/i apart. The 
author speaks of the core and periplast described by others. lie had no opportunity of 
confirming or confuting Borrel’s work on peritrichous flagella. He notes the disease 
terminates i)y lysis, not crisis, and found that continued passage through fowls appeared to 
modify the disease and the virulence of the organism. Some chickens which were found to 
l)e insusceptible to inoculation appeared to possess a natural immunity, as certain of them 
were only ten days old. Montgomery considers the geographical distribution of this disease, 
and that of human spirochmtosis in India, to be at least suspicious. 
10. Next in the field came Bevan' with a description of the disease in Southern 
Rhodesia. There it is most prevalent during the spring months of November and December, 
possibly because the climatic conditions are then most favourable for the hatching out of 
the eggs of ticks, while the ticks themselves are more plentiful. It was noticed that aiiparently 
immune birds succumbed when the infection had been re-started by the introduction of new 
susceptible birds to the poultry run. Bevan suggests that this is due to the parasite having 
gained in virulence (vide infra No. Id). In the most acute cases the birds seem to die in 
one night. He deals with preventive measures, advocating the spray pumps of the Deeming 
Company, Ohio, as suitable for distributing liquid insecticides. The residue from calcium 
carbide after the production of acetylene gas is said to be useful for whitewashing fowl-runs. 
He describes tick-proof fowl-houses—perches slung on wires—poles surrounded by 
vessels containing petroleum, etc. Oil dressing of fowls is mentioned, as is dipping the 
birds in weak Cooper’s dip. 
Atoxyl was tried as a curative agent, and seemed to benefit some cases which were 
■in extrevds. 
11. Williamson^ has a paper on spirochaetosis of fowls in Cyprus. The disease is endemic 
there and occurs in the hot months—.Tune, July and August. It is most prevalent where the 
poultry runs are small and contain old, and therefore dry, manure. It is rare where the Ijirds 
are allotted plenty of space. The dry manure forms a suitable hatchery for tick eggs, and is 
a good dusting-place for the fowls. 
The symptoms are characteristic, but the tick concerned is Argaa reflcxus, not A. persiciis 
The disease, which appears to attack ducks, does not seem to be transferable to man, two 
cases being cited in proof of this conclusion. 
12. Marchoux,® like Bevan, noted the loss of virulence on passage, but found that it was 
maintained under natural conditions by passage through Argas miniatus. (This is merely 
a variety of A. persicus.) 
13. Fulleborn and Mayer'* have found that Ornithodoros mo 2 ihata is effective as a 
transmitter of Sj). gallinarum, the tick having been found infective for 103 days after biting 
a diseased bird. There is, therefore, no specific relation between the tick and the species 
of spirochaete. 
' Bevan. LI. E. W. (March BIOS), “ Spirillosis of Fowls in Southern Rhodesia.” Journal of Comparative 
Pathologi/ and Therapeutics, Vol. XXI., Ft. I. 
- Williamson, G. .\. (June l-5th, 190S), “ Si)iroch!etosi,s of Cypriote Fowls.” Journal of Tropical Medicine 
and Hygiene. 
“ Marchoux, E. (October 12th, 1(107), “ Instability de la virus des Spirilles et sa fi.xation par I’hdte 
invertebre.” C. R. de la Soc. de Biol., Vol. XII. 
■■ Fulleborn, and Mayer, M. Quoted in Bull, de I’lnstiRil Pasteur. March 30th, 190s. 
The disease in 
Rhodesia 
Breveiuive 
measures 
'I'he disease in 
Cyprus 
Tick 
concerned in 
transmission 
The human 
tick effective 
